The Position of Female Entrepreneurs in the Republic of Croatia

Despite the fact that, statistically speaking, women are superior in terms of number and level of education, in terms of entrepreneurship they are a minority. In the Republic of Croatia, less than a third of companies are owned by women, who are even scarcer in management positions. Among companies managed by women there are not as many loss-making or blocked companies, and their profits are seven times greater than those of companies managed by men. The biggest problem is the prejudice that women are not ambitious enough and that at a certain point they will have to subordinate their work to the family life, which prevents them from becoming successful entrepreneurs or managers. Female entrepreneurs are faced with the same problems as their male colleagues, which is how to run a successful business and resist the crisis. Upon entering the world of entrepreneurship, women do not receive sufficient support from their environment, they are faced with prejudice and difficulties in all stages of starting and organizing a business, and its growth and development. The strategy for the development of female entrepreneurship in the Republic of Croatia should be aimed at a considerable increase in the number of women who want to start their own business, because the strengthening of female entrepreneurship results in the creation of material sources to sustain the family, raises the family standard, helps create jobs, and contributes to the development of economy in general. This paper shall deal with the problems and stereotypes which women are faced with when starting and developing their own companies, with a limited access to financing, and with the manner in which female entrepreneurs are dealing with the traditional setting in which they live and all its prejudices. The purpose of the paper is to identify economic and socio-cultural obstacles which female entrepreneurs encounter, as well as the benefits that the society as a whole can have from a successful fulfilment of women’s entrepreneurial potential. Finally, companies could also profit from an optimal ratio between men and women in management positions, as their approaches to management are complementary, thus contributing to the achievement of better business results.